Which one is right for me? Suggestions!

   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #1  

ikline

Silver Member
Joined
Mar 18, 2003
Messages
103
Location
Harrisburg, PA
Tractor
Cub Cadet 7265
I have been reading TBN for about 2 months now. I am getting frustrated. I have no idea what size tractor I need. I just purchased 4.5 acres and building a house. Close to 4 acres is wide open land. The rest is woods. Needs suggestions on what size tractor to buy. I will be planting a totally new lawn. Projects to be preparing soil for seeding, seeding, thinning out the woods, lots of mowing, FEL work, possibly BH work (digging out small stumps), clearing snow, etc. I would like a tractor that cuts well (I like a well maintained lawn). Was leaning towards BX22, but now sure if it is big enough. All suggestions welcomed. Thanks
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #2  
While the bx22 may be the great lawn maint. tool you are looking for.. I'm guessing it isn't the swiss army knife backhoe/loader wood's thinner' machine you are looking for. Thos latter options specifically the back hoe and logging stuff is better left to larger tractors.. I would guess in the 30hp / weight area.
For light work that 5 acres would bring though, I'm guessing 25 hp is where you ought to start looking.. that is if you are rough cutting the 4 ac with a bush hog... many 5' cutters like 25 hp. If you are finish cutting The 4 ac.., I think i would still go the 25hp, and get a big finish mower..like 72"

Soundguy
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #3  
You need to consider the 90% use. Ie: what are you going to be doing after you get set up?

If you like a well maintained lawn, then the BX (or other sub compact) is certainly a good choice.

The BX22 with it's backhoe is certainly big enough to deal with 1/2 acre worth of stumps, if you take your time.

What exactly do you mean by "prepare soil for seeding". I'd suggest having your excavation contractor grade the lawn for you with a bulldozer. After that any sub or compact tractor is capable of spreading lime, fert, soil amendments and seed.
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #4  
Since it appears finish lawn mowing is most important to you, I would suggest you go no bigger than the BX. My 2600lb massey (with R1 tires) absolutely tears and smooshes the lawn, even when dry. There is no way I would try to mow with something this size, regardless of tires. So if you can afford the BX22 with the hoe, go for it. Otherwise, the 2200 would be perfect for landscaping and finish mowing. As for a rotary mower, I think it best to stick with 4ft - which will be slower, but not impossible for your field tending.
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #5  
ikline,

I have 2.2 acres and I started out with a New Holland TC21D Compact. My hills forced me into going into a larger tractor so now I have a TC29D. The problem you have is starting out you need the larger tractor but once you have everything in shape then you only need a smaller one. I think a smaller compact like my TC21D, John Deere 4x10 series, Kubot equivalent or any other brand in that range would be great for you. Starting out it would be somewhat small for what you need to do but as years go buy it will become plenty big for what you will need to do. I even had R4's on my 21 and it really mowed nice and did not leave any tracks on the lawn. ACtually I have R4's on my 29 and it mows really nice also. I just lower the tire pressure some and make sure it isn't wet when I mow. The R4's will be great for your dirt moving adventures.

Now you could stay with the BX2200 or the equivalent in other brands it will only take longer to do your work at first, but when you get to the mowing stages you can't find a better mower with the sub-compacts. Many people have used the sub-compacts to do what you want to do with no problems. (again, just a bit slower, but maybe that is what you want). Get prices for both the sub and the smaller compact and look at the dollars. Is it worth more for you to go to the compact over the sub-compact. Buying less allows more implements.

As far as preparing your lawn you can hire the grunt work out with a bulldozer or the money you save on the sub you could buy a tiller, less you have stumps to worry about then I would go back to the bulldozer idea.


Just some ideas.

murph
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #6  
according to your post u have about 1/2 acre of woods , the rest is wide open 4 acres. now how much of that 4 acres is actually going to be LAWN, not grass that u are going to keep mowed? seems to me that the bx should be fine, u will probably find anything larger to be a bit heavy! as someone else stated what do u want to do with the tractor 90% of the time? that is what u buy!!!!
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #7  
If it were me, I'd go with the MF GC2300 over the 'bota for two reasons. One, I think the specs are better and two, I can't stand the local Kubota dealer. I've stopped in a few times while researching garden tractors and also CUTs and he just has this condescending, holier-than-thou, my-ship-doesn't-stink, come-back-when-you're-ready-to-buy-not-just-comparison-shop, quit-wasting-my-time attitude. Haven't been back in over a year.
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #8  
Your dealer is the key factor. My MF dealer is just like your Kubota dealer and maybe worse. He has a compact MF that has sat in the sun for 2 years. Totally ruined the paint and seat. He wants MSRP and will not even consider lowering his price. He is also the Cub Cadet dealer and won't budge off of list on those. Acts like he does not want to be bothered by customers at all. My closest Kubota dealer is about 25 miles away. He encourages me to try the different tractors on his lot. And bends over backwards to make me happy. I still have not bought because I want to look at the Kioti CK20 but time is running out on the 0% financing so I will probably buy the Kubota. So the best advice I can give is go with the dealer as much as the product.
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #9  
GaryG, Man that is too weird. Your 'bota dealer sounds like my MF dealer! They're a small, family owned/operated business. Every time I stopped in, they insisted I test drive any model I was even remotely interested in, and even some I wasn't just for comparison sake. I wish I had the scratch to buy a couple of MFs from them!

I also had a run in with an arrogant Cub dealer that tried to feed me some disinformation. When I called him on it, he said, "Well, you come back and see us when you're serious." I haven't set foot back on his lot, let alone inside his store.

You'd think that these manufacturers would check up on their dealers from time to time, and possibly offer classes in customer relations.
 
   / Which one is right for me? Suggestions! #10  
These postings kind of got my attention when someone said, the manufactures should drop by and visit the dealers. I had a local dealer who was very good with customers and I always enjoyed kicking a few tires with him. He was the same dealer that would let you bring tractor home and test them. Didn't matter how many times.... Well, he is no longer in business ... why??? Well because the manufacture was so **** about having all the manufacture signs up and painted nice and neat and all the flags flying and clean. The dealer just didn't need to put up with all the little issues that having a dealership with a certain manufacture so he retired early.

I guess the moral maybe, some small town dealers do just fine without having manufacture propaganda all over and constraints that limit dealer success.
 
 
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